The two exchanged a shaky glance. Florina's eyes were filled with panic and helplessness, while Lon'qu's were focused on trying to find a way out. There had to be some way to get out of the mess they were in. He refused to die here, in some foreign place with a foreign girl who worked his nerves.

But the situation was looking rather helpless. A couple of the barbarians around them were laughing at them. Each had his own menacing axe ready. It was an advantage for Lon'qu-at least, it would be any other time. So badly injured, Lon'qu doubted his own abilities to dodge the slow and bulky weapon. Florina, on the other hand, seemed too distressed to even be able to think straight. She accepted her solemn fate, and her spear slid from her hands. It fell with a small clank to the ground.

Lon'qu looked over at the fallen weapon and growled. "What are you doing," he demanded. "Only a coward-"

"I've only ever been a coward," Florina said in a very small voice, her eyes distant. "I run away from everything. I can't even face my own comrades, the people I've fought with for so long, so I fled here, to a place I didn't even know. I came here a coward and I'll die here a coward. That's all I'll ever be."

Lon'qu's grip tightened so that his knuckles turned white. "I'm not here for your life story," he bit back. "Why don't you put up a fight so you live another day? Prove to yourself you're not a coward, dammit!"

At this she looked up, and she saw the desperation in his eyes. He couldn't fight alone. Maybe he'd finally realized he needed her help.

So Florina picked up her lance and she turned towards the barbarians, just in time to block an attack. As another man ran to her Lon'qu swiped at him with his sword, bringing pain to his enemy and himself. He just barely stepped out of the way for another barbarian, whom he was able to defeat in one swipe.

The rest of them were not so easy. The axes kept falling and it was becoming harder and harder for Lon'qu and Florina to dodge them. The two of them were exhausted, but the band of barbarians was just getting started. Rain was starting up again, wiping the blood and sweat from the faces of the fighters. The dark clouds did little to hide Lon'qu's and Florina's exhaustion.

In a short time, Florina did not even have the energy to step away from blows, and she was making too many close calls in blocking the attacks. Even with reflexes dulled, she was able to catch something that Lon'qu did not. Words could not come quickly enough; she had no other way of alarming Lon'qu of the leader's killer axe. Instead she shoved him out of the way, shoving herself straight into the path of the killer axe. It struck her immediately, slicing skin and pouring red. She fell to the ground, bleeding and breathless. Critical hit.

Lon'qu could only watch in horror as Florina fell. Her face, however, was not the face of a girl he'd seen only minutes ago. Instead, he was staring into the dying eyes of a woman who had tried protecting him long ago. He let out a scream, too distraught to make any real words.

One of the barbarians took this opportunity to target Lon'qu. In his weakness, the enemy figured he had an easy kill. He ran at Lon'qu with his iron axe, confident in himself and his abilities to fell the wounded fighter. However, he was surprised to see the lightning speed with which Lon'qu retaliated. The barbarian was defeated in seconds, and Lon'qu had found a new reason to fight. He turned to the others, a face cold as stone. Suddenly, they weren't so confident. The leader wasn't laughing anymore. Clutching his axe, he prepared for real battle.

In seconds Lon'qu was coming at them, the pain in his body a lost memory. He fought with a sharpened skill, the skill Basillio had admired and the skill he wished could have saved the woman from the slums. In just minutes he had raked his blade across every man that had attacked them. Most fled the scene to protect themselves against the mad swordmaster, the others lay dead at his feet on a bloodied battlefield.

Once the fighting was over, Lon'qu collapsed beside Florina and looked her over. She was very injured and she needed a medic, quickly. He looked around frantically but there was no one. No healer would be able to hear him shout, but he tried anyway. The silent response rang throughout the land, taunting him. Aggravated and desperate, he looked back to Florina and his breathing hastened. No. He knew she was not Ke'ri, was not the girl he had so long ago failed to save. He knew this girl was nothing like the one he'd known so long ago, the one who had died fighting alongside him, for him. And yet, he had to save her. Ke'ri's memory had haunted him for years; Florina's would not. He would not let another woman die for him. He would find a way to save her or he would die trying.

Suddenly, an idea came to mind, and Lon'qu began searching the bodies around him. He tossed aside bullion after bullion, having no immediate need for money. Weapons and trinkets he also set aside, until he finally found what he was looking for. Inside the pockets of one of the dead barbarians was a small vial, filled with a familiar blue liquid.

He rushed back to Florina and tilted the vial to her lips, praying the elixir was not too late. When the vial was empty-all three doses-he tossed it aside and it shattered. Lon'qu did not flinch at the noise, just watched as Florina failed to stir. "No," he said, repeating the word quickly and quietly, over and over. He would not let the deaths of two women rest on his conscience. He would not go through this again. He would not live through this pain again.

But Florina did not move. Her chest was still, her skin pale. She already looked like a corpse, like the corpse of Ke'ri. Tears sprang to Lon'qu's eyes. This girl who had angered and annoyed him to no end over these past days, this girl who had been the very bane of existence. This girl he could not get out of his head for as long as he'd met her. This girl who, just yesterday, Lon'qu had never wanted to see again. She had died in the same manner as his most beloved friend, and once again, he had been powerless to stop it.

Several minutes later, blue eyes fluttered open, and they were surprised to see silver trails down Lon'qu's face. Florina stayed perfectly still, wanting to confirm her suspicions before notifying Lon'qu of her alertness. After a moment, she knew the water on his face was not rain. Lon'qu was crying.

Without moving her head, she looked around to see all the barbarians gone. Some of them were still lying on the ground, motionless. Had he done that? Had he finished the battle... for her?

The rain seemed to light up the slightest bit, and a bit of sunshine shone through the clouds. Florina's small voice cut through the silence, almost quiet enough to leave it undisturbed. "Lon'qu?" she whispered. "Th-thank you."